Now That We Have An Audience, Let Us Proceed
by Eternal Love Song
Summary: The Avengers to arrive to stop a ritual Loki is doing with Tony. They...don't.


"Loki!"

The door was forced open, the noise echoing through the empty hall. The Avengers were standing in the doorway taking in the room they had just entered- well, most of the Avengers. The good captain stood front and center, as expected, the little witch stood before the archer, the widow shared sides with the widow, and the birdman floated in the air alongside the automaton. Loki nodded at the mechanical man, having taking a liking to him, before smiling widely, manically, at the others.

Loki could image what they were seeing. The large red circle at the head of the alter, unknown symbol written around the circumference and at the center. Blood, they would think, and the way the little witch was squinting at it, dark magic was the next easy assumption as well. Loki was dressed in formal attire, not battle attire but Loki doubted they would see the difference, the plebeians. The Iron Man armor was standing empty in front of the circle and inside lay their defenseless (Ha!) comrade, hands tied and blindfolded.

To one side of the room stood Victor and on the other, Amora and Skurge. Both glared at the rude interruption, but respectfully stayed silent. Victor crossed his arms with impatient. Amora glared, but Skurge placed a restrictive hand on her shoulder.

Loki pulled back the chalice he'd been holding to Stark's lips, wiping the trail of liquid that dripped from him. "Ah, Avengers," Loki greeted pleasantly. "I don't recall sending you an invitation."

"What did you give him?" The spider demanded.

"I'm not sure how that could possibly concern you," Loki told them. He set the goblet on the floor outside the circle.

"Whatever you're doing, you won't get away with it!" The captain said.

"Hmm, interesting opinion," Loki hummed.

The archer apparently lost his patience, as he decided to fire an arrow right then and there. It didn't get very far. Loki had set up a barrier before the ritual began, anticipating an interruption, though not this one in particular.

"I suppose I did miscalculate," Loki said. "I should have extended one of you an invitation." He looked eyes with the Stark's creation and the creature tilted his head as he regarded Loki.

"You believe I would be willing to attend this... ritual of yours?" he asked.

Loki nodded. "I do, had I been able to give you prior notice."

"Interesting."

"Surrender Stark and this can end here!" The captain commanded. He clearly had no manners nor was he willing to read the atmosphere. What sort of knave interrupts two people in the middle of a conversation?

"Afraid I can't do that, Captain. Though I suppose you may stick around if you want. The ceremony is going to start soon, if only my last invited guest would finally show up."

On cue the sky boomed with thunder and Thor landed heavily behind his comrades. They wouldn't be able to tell, unobservant idiots, but Thor was also dressed in his formal attire as well. The little hero group lit up at his appearance.

"Thor, finally!" The archer said.

"Help us talk some sense into your brother," the birdman said.

"I am afraid that I cannot," Thor told them. "Loki invited me formally to this event and I have given my word not to interfere."

"What?" They all questioned at once.

"You approve of this?" The witch demanded. "Loki kidnapped Stark, stripped him of his armor, and probably plans to sacrifice him and you're just-"

Thor ignored her. Loki was actually a little giddy at the sight. Stark, who couldn't even see the exchange only hear it, also cracked a smile.

"My apologies, Loki. I did not mean to hold up the proceedings," Thor said.

Today of all days, Loki was in a good mood. He smiled at his brother and told him simply, "You are forgiven."

Thor smiled in turn, stepping forward and passing through the barrier easily. The little witch tried to follow, only to be painfully rebuffed by the barrier.

"Show more respect, Odinson," Victor scolded, before returning his attention back to Loki.

Amora and Thor nodded at each other, but did not exchange a greeting.

"Anthony has already taken a sip of Golden Chalice," Loki explained loudly. "I have bound him with the weight of the bound, all that is left is the exchange."

Loki cast a silencing spell on the outside of his barrier as the Avengers began to attack, pushing them to the back of his mind like the after thought they were. He summoned a dagger, cutting his hand and letting the blood pool into his hand. He cupped his hand, letting the blood gather, before holding it up to Stark's lips.

"Drink." Loki commanded.

Stark did so without comment.

"I share with you my blood and bond, my heart and mind, the flow of time. I take from you all of her secrets, your hope and hate, you death and your life. Do you accept my bond?" Loki questioned.

"I accept your bond, Loki Laufeyson" Stark replied.

"Then on this day you die." Loki moved forward quickly and slashed his dagger across Stark's neck. He took one moment to glance toward the Avengers, relishing in the horror and anguish on their faces, before pressing his still bleeding hand to the wound he made on Stark's neck. Loki pressed his lips to Stark, kissing him deeply, lingering longer than he meant to when he was met with Stark's enthusiastic tongue. When he pulled back, he said softly, "And you live again."

The flare of Loki's magic was bright between them. The circle slowly burned itself out around them, the symbols disappearing one by one, as well as the binding around Stark's hands and the blindfold over his eyes.

Thor stood up and let out a might cheer! "Congratulations, brother!"

Loki found himself actually smiling as Thor rushed forward and picked him up, swinging him around in his excitement. Calm down, you oaf."

Victor went to Stark's side and clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations, Stark. If you ever find yourself in Latveria, you may consider yourself welcome." A pause, before Victor added, "Under the right circumstances."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Stark replied. "No friendliness when I'm on the job."

Victor nodded. "You shall find a congratulatory gift in your home before the week's end." Victory walked out through a side door.

"Stark," Amora said. "Be careful with that one. Loki, try not to break your mortal."

"No longer possible," Loki replied.

"You know what I mean," she said. "Come Skurge. We need to find a suitable gift for them." The two disappeared in a swirl of magic.

"What the fuck was that?" The archer yelled, surprised to find that his voice actually carried.

Loki smiled widely as Thor set him back down. Wrapping an arm around Stark's waist, Loki pulled him closer. "That happened to be a bonding ritual."

"In other words," Stark said with a grin as wide as Loki. "That was our wedding. Nice of you show up."

"What?"

"Were you not aware of their courtship?" Thor asked. "No matter, this is wonderful news! We must celebrate!"

"He's a criminal!"

"He's evil!"

"No way!"

The chorus of objections overlapped.

"I admit there are simpler ritual for matrimony alone," Loki said, looking at the witch when he said so. "But I like my bond-mates to be a little less breakable and granting immortality is a little harder without binding other things. So I decided to bind us in more ways than one."

"You should get used to seeing me around, Avengers," Loki told him. "I'd hate to live to far from my husband, after all."


End file.
